Heroes of a New Breed
by blackshade9
Summary: Strange things can happen to folks, like finding a hundred dollar bill on the floor. Unfortunately for James, strange means being thrust into a world that really likes to screw with people. A SI fic of soon to be Epic proportions.
1. Chapter 1

He had no time to react. He saw a flash of light, tumbled onto the ground, barely had but a moment to regain his bearings, before he was struck in the back of the head. Hard. Something warm and wet dripped down the back of his neck, his face hitting the dirt roughly, his forehead and skull burning with pain. He heard cries of laughter, quickly cut short by yells of surprise. Another voice, female, yelled at the top of her lungs, quickly followed by cries of pain from the formerly laughing voices. He tried to push himself off the ground, attempted to ignore the searing pain in his head, but collapsed on the ground, and saw black.

Feeling first returned to him in his finger tips. Then his toes, then his legs and arms, flowing up until he could feel his head… and the enormous amount of pain that joined it. His head burned, as if someone had stabbed a white-hot iron poker straight into it. He tried to open his eyes, but quickly failed and fell back into blackness.

Meru sat in the wooden chair, a rather unhappy expression on her face. Life had gone from simple to very complicated in a very short span of time. She'd been walking down the road, as was usual, making her way to Furni, nothing out of the ordinary, when she stumbles upon some poor fellow who just happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time. Bandits had smacked him upside the head with a club before he even had time to react.

Obviously, she couldn't let that slide and, naturally, kicked the crap out of all of them. She helped him, since it was clear he was hurt… but certain things were just plain weird. First of all, he was wet, like it'd been pouring, but it hadn't rained in months. Plus his clothes were odd. She'd never seen the style before. And who wears a rain cloak in the middle of winter? That didn't make any sense at all. Still… She wasn't exactly one to question someone's choice of clothing. After all, she had a no trouble wearing just her dancer's outfit in the winter… though she had good reason.

Her thoughts were quickly tugged away from her when he stirred in his sleep, his eyes opening for the briefest of moments, but before she could utter a syllable, he was out again. She growled as she sunk back into the chair. This was annoying. Why couldn't he just…

"Wake up!" She yelled standing and stomping her foot on the ground. The door opened suddenly, the doctor poking his head in.

"Is everything alright?" He asked, glancing in the dancers' direction and then to his patient. Meru scratched the back of her head in slight embarrassment for her sudden outburst, before shaking her head.

"Everything is fine, doctor, honest!" She said, still rather loud.

"Keep it down! You'll wake him. He needs his rest!" The doctor said in a harsh whisper, Meru standing upright and scratching her head in further embarrassment.

"Sorry, sorry!" She said Feeling both guilty for yelling and annoyed for being scolded. Unbeknownst to either, there hushed conversation had done exactly what they were trying to avoid. The young boy who lay on the bed eyes cracked open, straining to grasp at the images before him. His head hurt something fierce, and his eyes were not used to the light. How long had he been out?

The doctor gave the young girl a brief glare before ushering her out of the room. "Leave me to my patient! Go in the waiting room and do just that! Wait!" he said in a harsh whisper, Meru quickly running out of the room with mumbled not-so-guilty apologies.

The doctor moved back to the bed, where the boy had already managed to push himself off the pillows. He quickly moved to aid him, supporting his patient.

"How do you feel?" He asked, his arm preventing the still-recovering youth from falling back. The boy glanced at him, his eyes tired and confused.

"Tired and dizzy…" He mumbled, holding his head, the throbbing crack on his skull protesting loudly. Glancing at the doctor, he frowned, giving him a questioning look.

"Where am I?"

Meru sat on the small wooden chair that lay in the waiting room, hands rusting on the bottom of the seat, fingers tapping against its wooden frame and legs kicking back and fro as she waited impatiently. She wondered how he was… He'd taken quite the blow to the head, and it'd taken her awhile to actually carry him to town. She recalled panicking, fearing she'd be too late. Thankfully, this looked like it was not the case and that he was OK.

"Thank goodness!" She said with a big smile, placing a hand on her chest and giving a great sigh.


	2. Chapter 2

James mind was in complete chaos. He'd never been so utterly confused in his entire life. He vaguely remembered finding a church, to get out of the rain, taking shelter inside, a bright flash, and then waking up in an unfamiliar bed. Sure, at first he'd believed that he'd somehow been sent hurtling across the planet. How? Who knew? But the thought in his mind as he was talking to the doctor was that he could just make his way home somehow.

But a different _world? _ The doctor has shown him a map when they discussed where he was from, but the map didn't match up! Countries, oceans, rivers, lakes, islands, nothing! Nothing matched, nothing was alike! His hands gripped the bed sheets, his heart beating in his chest, his gut wrenching.

His rather panicky thoughts were cut short by a high and cute voice.

"So, are you going to say anything?" the voice asked. James looked up, and his eyes widened a bit. The girl, who was giving him a curious look, was more than a little eye-catching. Her hair was peculiar platinum, her eyes a dark red and her skin pale, a bit like his own. A little more eye catching was her attire; or lack thereof. It took a bit of a mental slap to pull his eyes away from her revealing figure and back onto her face, and by her expression, either she didn't notice, or she didn't care for his wandering eyes. Suddenly reminded that he had been asked a question, he shook his head.

"Sorry. Are you the one who saved me?" He asked, tilting his head. The girl crossed her arms across her chest, a big grin stretching across her face.

"That's right!" She said, standing up straight, her grin growing bigger. Meru was quite proud of herself to say the least, and perhaps a little full of herself as well. She looked down at the resting man, her grin faltering slightly, being replaced by an expression of surprise.

"You have my deepest gratitude." He said formally, bowing to the best of his ability while seated in the bed. Meru shifted a bit, a tad uncomfortable.

"It- It was really no big deal… I was just in the area." She said, scratching the back of her head again and grinding a toe into the floor nervously. She really wasn't used to such formal behavior or appreciation. It was… unusual.

"No, if it wasn't for you, I might have died. Don't sell yourself short!" He said, adding the last bit with a grin as he looked up at her face, his smile almost contagious as Meru smiled back.

"Well… You're welcome!" She said, smiling caringly. She took a couple steps forward, extending a hand at him suddenly.

"My name is Meru. It's a pleasure to meet you." She said, grinning. James was took her greeting in stride, reaching out and grasping her hand in a firm handshake; one she matched surprisingly easily.

"James Warren Post the Third, at your service. It's an honor to make your acquaintance." He said, shaking her hand.

* * *

"So… You're from another world." Meru sat flatly, kicking her feet back and forth, her hands grasping the bottom of the chair she'd dragged in from the waiting room. Her face held one of both confusion and skepticism. There was an awkward pause in the conversation before someone finally broke it.

"You don't believe me, do you?" He asked, though his voice held no accusatory feel. How could he blame her? He'd think he was crazy too.

"Well… I can't say I do… but I can't say I don't either." She said, taking James by surprise. Before he could question her response, she smiled and waved the subject away.

"Don't worry about it! It's all details anyway." She said, crossing her arms and smiling. She leaned forward, ignoring James personal bubble with little regard before tapping him on the nose.

"If you just mope about, you won't get anywhere!" She said, and before long, James found her smile beyond contagious. This girl had such energy… It was a bit refreshing.

"Well… I just don't know what to do. I'm literally a world away from home, I know nothing of this place, I barely know the country I'm in, something about a Queen, and bandits, and my head hurts…" He said, quickly devolving into a bit of a frantic rant. Meru frowned. For some reason, seeing him so distressed bothered her. Putting on her 'tough' face, she made a loud "Hmph!" and patted him on the back. James rant was quickly cut short as he jerked forward from the blow.

"Ow. What'd I do?" He asked, rubbing his back. He glanced up at Meru, whose expression made him quite curious as to what was going through her mind.

"I'll help you." She said simply, her giant smile returning and her arms crossing her chest. James tilted his head in confusion.

"Huh?" Was his rather elegant reply.

"I'll help you. I don't know if we can get you home, but whatever you plan to do, I'll help you do it!" She said, her grin, once again for what felt like the dozen time, spreading to James own mouth. James felt a little bit of happiness edging out, the feeling in the room quite comforting and touching. It was a good feeling.

"I ask you be patient… I'll have a lot of questions." He said, swinging his legs around and off the bed, straining to stand up, his head throbbing painfully. Meru was quick to act, taking a hold of his arm and helping him up.

"Don't worry! You'll have the greatest tour guide in the world, Meru the Wonderful!" She chirped, her cheerful voice brightening his mood.

"So, where to, Prince?" She asked, smiling up at him with a mischeivious smile. Prince? Oh boy. A nickname already.

"Why Prince?" He asked, a small chuckle escaping from his mouth as he looked down at her.

"Because, your name is so regal!" She replied simply, hefting him up onto his feet properly with strength her small form belied having.

* * *

Meru was practically awestruck when she helped him up. He was HUGE. She hadn't seen him standing at his full height, but he easily towered over her.

"Geez, how tall are you?" she blurted out, looking up at him. One thing people couldn't accuse her of was not speaking her mind. James simply gave a laugh, evidently used to this kind of question.

"About six feet tall." He said, chuckling. "It's really my only noticeable feature." He added with humor. His head hurt, but headaches were something he was fully used to, straightening his back out, his spine giving a nice few cracks as it stretched. Meru looked indignant, hands on her hips.

"That's not true! Your hair is pure black! I've never seen that before!" She said, pointing at him accusingly. James gave another laugh, leaning down.

"Take a closer look. It's just a very dark brown. I do like my hair though." He said, showing her. Meru, still showing her lack of care for a personal bubble, had taken a tuft of hair and given it a hard look over.

"Oh, you're right. Well, you still have nice hair!" She said, letting him go. She felt like she was winning an argument for some reason.

"Well, thanks." He said, smiling. He was leaning on her, though she could tell that he hadn't noticed that he was, but he was light, and she was far stronger than she appeared.

"Let's go for a walk!" She said suddenly and loudly, already guiding him out the door.

"A walk? Why?" He said as he was pulled along, Practically tripped over his own feet as she pulled him out the door, the crisp and cold winter air making him shiver.

"That's why! You need new clothes, and being in a stuffy room all day won't help, now come on!" She said cheerily, continuing to yank him along.

_Oh, this is going to be SO fun! _She thought to herself, her grin only growing.


	3. Chapter 3

It wasn't long before James found himself in a clothing store, a cheerful Meru digging through outfits and examining them. James… wasn't much of a clothes shopper. He just went with whatever was comfortable and at hand. However, something told him that that excuse wouldn't fly with Meru. Besides… She was clearly having fun… and he wouldn't take that from her. James leaned back in the wooden chair he'd found, having sat down to ease his dizziness. He took the moment to examine Meru, or more specifically, ogle her. He really wasn't a womanizer, or a flirt, or a pervert… Ok, perhaps a pervert at times, but he hadn't had a girlfriend in his life and he had done that on purpose. Truth be told, James liked being alone, and not in the girlfriend/lover/whatever relationship, but just as a loner. Yes, he was respectful, nice one could say, and disliked rudeness, but in the end, he enjoyed peace and quiet.

Still… Even he was prone to loneliness. He was not without friends, though he kept them few and close. Friends…

"Owch…" He mumbled, grasping his head as it began to throb painfully. Meru had placed the piece of cloth she'd been examining down, running up to him and leaning down to eye level.

"Are you alright?" She asked caringly, her usual hyperactive charm quiet.

"Head's hurting…" He mumbled, glancing up and quickly away from her. He had the decency not to stare at her chest. Well, at least he tried to have the decency not too.

"Want to go back?" She asked quietly, frowning. She wanted to get him out of that stuffy room, but she didn't want to end up hurting him.

"No, it's alright, the pain is fading." He said, glancing up into her eyes and smiling.

"Well, alright, if you say so!" She said, standing up straight and grinning. Yup, hyper again. James couldn't help but grin. Her behavior as she resumed jumping around the shop was… refreshing. A little peace for the soul you could almost say, oddly enough.

"Say Meru, I hope you don't mind me asking, but… Why do you dress like that?" He asked, his curiosity giving in. He just had to know. Not that he was complaining.

"My clothes? Because I'm a dancer, of course!" She said without missing a beat. Something told him that it wouldn't be easy to faze this girl. She had self-esteem. He liked that.

"A dancer, huh?" He mused, giving her another look. So the outfit was meant to draw attention. If he was to guess correctly, she was the kind of dancer one would think of for tasteful entertainment, not the 'other' kind from home. Still, he wondered how good she was… Dancing was always nice to watch.

"What kind of dancing?" He asked curiously, leaning forward in his chair. Meru glanced at him with a small trace of surprise on her face. He was actually interested?

"The best kind of course! I can dance anything! I'm the best dancer you'll ever see." She said confidently, twirling in place. James couldn't help it; he laughed. Not meanly, but more out of amazement that someone would have such confidence to say something like that with a straight face.

"Noted!" He said between chuckles. This girl just had a talent to make him smile, something he really needed right now. Every moment his mind went idle, he began to question his own sanity. A new world? Was it possible? And how did he get here? How we he get home? Had he died, and this was heaven? He hoped not. Too cold for heaven.

His dark thoughts were jerked away from him in the form of a slight tap on the nose. He glanced up, Meru looking down at him.

"I see you thinking unhappy thoughts! Not on my watch!" She said cheerily, grabbing his hand and pulling him to his feet.

"Let's go to another shop, perhaps we'll find something else-" She began, cut off in the form of an almost angry bark. Then James realized it was the doctor at the stores entrance, and he looked none too happy.

"I've been looking all over for you! Did you take my patient from his room?!" He barked out, stomping up to Meru with a rather nasty expression on his eyes. James stepped in before Meru had spoken a word.

"Sorry doc, I was feeling kind of cramped, so I asked her to go for a walk with me." He said quickly, putting on an apologetic face. The doctor scowled for a moment, then waved his arm as if to dismiss the subject.

"That's unimportant. What is important is that the Queen has requested your presence in her chambers. She has important questions for you, and demands direct answers, from the horses' mouth so to speak." He said, his formerly harsh voice taking on a trace of nervousness.

James frowned at this. The idea of royalty had lost the fantasy charm of his youth when he remembered the roots of it. Nothing but descendents of mass murderers, thugs, and bandits. Tyrants one and all, regardless of how they had altered history to make themselves 'noble' and 'majestic'.

"I will see her." He said flatly. He didn't want to, but it wasn't like he had much of a choice. Besides, making enemies was really not the greatest of ideas, and you never know, this Queen might actually have some redeeming qualities. Or one could hope.

"Excellent! Now, let's hurry and-" The doctor began, but as he did with Meru, James did to him.

"Meru comes with." He said simply, crossing his arms, ignoring the minor throb on his head. The doctor opened his mouth to object, but quickly closed it.

"Fine, fine! We don't have time to argue. Please, just come along!" He said, waving in the direction of the 'castle' which James was baffled he hadn't noticed before. The place was made of pure crystal with buildings set into them, at least several hundred feet off the ground.

"Don't cut any expenses do you?" He said to no one in particular as the doctor hurried along through the snow, Meru and James not far behind.

Meru followed quietly, a little confused. Why did he want her to come along? To see the Queen herself? This was an event that was… well, more than unlikely. Strange person from another world, appearing out of nowhere, a summons from the Queen not three days after his arrival… What were the odds?!

"Meru?" A voice rang out, dragging her from her thoughts. She glanced over at James, who had called her name.

"What's up, Princey?" She chirped, glancing up at the far taller boy.

"You seem distracted, are you alright?" He asked, trudging through the snow, shivering a bit. He still hadn't gotten a coat.

"I'm just fine! No worries!" She smiled, skipping along, seemingly unaffected by the cold entirely. This baffled James a bit. But he had other things on his mind.

"Well, if you say so." He said, facing forward again. It wasn't much longer that they were at the gate of the crystal-castle thingy. The doctor talked to guards quickly, who opened the doors for them, allowing them to march in.

The castle wasn't much warmer, though the wind was thankfully gone. Both the young teens were awed by the insides of the building, the crystal walls shimmering under every light, a beauty unmatched.

"Wow…" They both said in unison, their mouths hanging open.

"Hurry up you two! We cannot leave Her Majesty waiting!" The doctor called from the top of the stairs, tapping his foot impatiently. James discreetly rolled his eyes. Everyone walking on egg shells for royalty, what a shocker. James tapped Meru on the shoulder, tipping his head in the direction of the stairs.

"Let's go, before the doctor has a heart attack." He said, smiling down at her. She gave a small giggle in reply, nodding. The pair quickly caught up with the doctor, Meru taking note that James long stride practically soaring him across the crystalline floors.

Not long later, they found themselves at yet another gate, and by the looks of the extra guards, the throne room. The doctor had rushed up to talk to them again, evidently not wanting to give either him or Meru a chance to look foolish. James suppressed another eye-roll, and was distracted from his haughty thoughts by a tap on the shoulder.

"Say James… Why did you want me to come along?" Meru asked, the pair taking a couple steps up to the gate. As the gate opened, James gave her an answer that made her heart miss a beat.

"Because you're my friend."

* * *

Well, here is my first ever Authors Note!

I started this story on a whim, though I had planned it for a long time, even rewriting the first chapter a bunch of times. I really like this story, and I'm trying SO HARD to not make James a horrible, ugly, pus-filled Marty Stu. So please! Review! Give me critique! I want to know what you all think!

And just so you know! This story won't die! I already have chapter 13 written and completed. :3


	4. Chapter 4

Well, here's where things get interesting. As always, read, and please review! Reviews make me a happy author!

I'll make the deal that for every 5 reviews I get, I'll add an extra chapter!

Disclaimer: I own James and my own creative works and nothing else.

* * *

The pair found themselves in a grand throne room, taking their time to admire the architecture yet again. Such beauty… Both were jerked from their thoughts by a sharp nudge to their sides, courtesy of the good doctor.

"You stand before the Queen! Show some respect!" He whispered harshly, pushing them forward lightly. James growled quietly as he walked up to the throne. There sat the Queen, a women standing at her side, as well as a heavily armored knight. A quick glance around noted several guards in the room. Taking a few steps until he, Meru, and the doctor stood where they were supposed to, Meru and the doctor kneeled down in typical fashion.

"Your Majesty, I present to you James Warren Post the Third, the patient who claims to be from another world. You wished to verify-" the doctor began, this time cutting himself off. He glanced to the side, nearly panicking.

James wasn't kneeling. Instead he had his arms crossed with a rather dull expression on his face. This was not unnoticed by any in the room; even Meru was taken a little off-guard by this. The silence carried for a few moments before the knight next to the Queen broke it.

"Have you no respect?! You stand before Her Royal Highness Queen Theresa! Where do you-!?" He began, stopping as a hand was raised by the Queen herself. Instead she stood from her throne, glancing down at the strange teen.

"You there, Lord Post, do you not kneel before your own King or Queen?" She asked calmly. Clearly, she was more interested in being diplomatic than demanding. James could appreciate that.

"Lord Post?" He began, questioning her choice of words, before shaking his head. "No, in my land, we have no Kings or Queens, nor do we have Princes or Emperors. In my land, men and women kneel before no one save God." He said, actually feeling rather proud of himself. That felt rather epic. He just hoped he wasn't going to get his head chopped off for it. That would not be so epic.

Instead the Queen was taken by surprise, sitting back down on her throne. She remained quiet for a moment, before asking another question.

"Are _you_ not a prince? Your name holds regality." She said, tilting her head in curiosity. James found this rather encouraging. She hadn't ordered him stabbed yet.

"No, I am just a citizen. My name holds no bearing, save the pride of my father." He said calmly unfolding his arms and placing his hands behind his back.

"I see… Very well then. Please rise." She said, sending that last bit at the kneeling pair. They both rose, Meru looking wide-eyed and the doctor adjusting the pair of glasses on his face with shaking hands.

"Y-yes, well, Your Majesty, as I was saying… He claims to be from another world, and this girl claims he appeared out of thing air before being besieged by bandits." He said quickly nodding as he did. James himself was taken a bit off-guard. She hadn't even gotten mad or even offended. Perhaps he had underestimated the quality of this Queen.

"Is this true, Sir Post?" She asked, looking to James. He gave a nod to her, cracking a small smile.

"Just James is fine. And yes, the doctor showed me a map of your world and none of the geography matches. Unless that blow to the head has changed my view and memories of the world so drastically that I have imagined an entire planet and life time, I have indeed come from a different world than your own." He said, crossing his arms again. Those words made him feel sick to his stomach, only reminding him of his situation. He did his best to remain the figure of confidence, but the dark thought that he was so far away from home just crept crawling back into his mind. It was childish but… Boy did he really want his mother.

"I see… In a world like ours, I find reason to believe you could be telling the truth, though I am also led to believe that you have no concrete proof. You could very well be lying." She said. Her tone was not rude or cruel, but instead logical, for what she said indeed made sense.

"Yes, you're right. I have no proof, and I could very well be lying. I honestly have nothing to give you in evidence beyond my own word and solid belief. I'm sorry, but I really have nothing to prove my words." He said, raising his shoulders in helplessness. What he said was true, he couldn't prove it. He could very well be wrong, perhaps he was from this world and had imagined it all. He doubted that, and as he said, faithfully believed that he was.

"You may have nothing to prove it, but I do." The Queen said, only succeeding in confusing the three who stood before her. Not explaining herself, she instead turned to the guard next to her.

"Fetch Sister Wink." She said. The man in the plate armor merely bowed, before hurrying away, and out the room. James turned to watch him go, turning to Meru afterwards. He gave her a confused look, to which she could only respond with an equally confused shrug. Several minutes crept by of silence while they waited for this "Sister Wink" to arrive. Finally, footsteps marked their arrival, breaking the uncomfortable silence.

James turned to look at the newcomer, or rather, newcomers. The woman who arrived was assisted by another, holding her arm and guiding her into the throne room. The two stepped up, bowing before the Queen. James had only a moment to mildly muse that they did not kneel either.

"Your Majesty, you called for me?" The woman who James assumed was this Sister Wink asked, seemingly staring into space rather than looking at the Queen.

"Yes. No doubt you've already heard the boy's story, but he has no proof of his claims nor do any of the others. Can you tell if this boy is lying?" She asked, her face stone, a frown evident on her face. Sister Wink merely nodded to the Queen.

"I can certainly try." She said, before turning to look at the group. He noticed that her eyes were closed.

"Which among you claim to be from another world?" She asked.

"That would be me." James spoke up quickly, curious as to what she was doing. Her behavior just seemed… odd. The other woman, the one who guided her, took hold of her arm, once again bringing her to stand in front of James. It was at this time that James realized it: She was blind. That was why she did not use her eyes.

"Let me see your hand." She asked gently, holding out her own. James complied silently, placing his hand on her palm. She closed her other hand on top of his own, frowning a bit. James felt like a small chill spread over his body when she did, disturbing his somewhat. Her face was serene, almost curious in expression.

"My… Your soul is scarred, showing of many wounds, perhaps of the past. You hold a layer of sadness and bitterness, yet…" She began, her words captivating James, as well as deeply confusing and disturbing him. What the hell was she doing?

"You hold a core of honor, one of law and goodness. A noble soul, one who does not encroach upon others or conceal falsehood lightly. One of justice." She said, releasing his hand, which James tugged away quickly. What the hell?

"Sister Wink can see the souls of others. Tell me Sister, does he lie?" Queen Theresa asked, looking down upon them. Sister Wink shook her head.

"I sense no lies in his word, unless he can conceal the imperfections of his own soul, which from what I can tell, he cannot, then there are no lies in his words. He has a good soul, Mother." She said. Oh, daughter and mother. That's why she didn't bow. That thought quickly jerked back, annoying himself that was the first observation that leaped to mind instead of the soul-searching woman. But honestly, he was on an entirely different world, nothing could surprise him at this point.

"I see…" The Queen said, before looking up and smiling, for the first time since he'd arrived James noted.

"It is good to have one such as you in my halls, James." She said, making James himself smile. James turned to Meru, who had placed a hand on her heart, seemingly in relief.

"So… I take it you believe me?" He asked, a relieved and exhausting smile spreading over his face. The adrenaline that'd been flowing was starting to fade, his head injury throbbing to remind him.

"Your soul coneals no falsehood. You are welcome in my country. Now, if you please, the three of you go rest in the dining hall. I must think on this." She said, her words cold but her smile still present.

"Yes, Your Majesty." The doctor said quickly, before turning and ushering the pair of teens out. What a killjoy. The three hurried out of the room, James turning to smile at Meru, who had a baffled expression on her face. When he inclined his head curiously, she made an exasperated sigh.

"Of all the people I could find on the side of the road, I really didn't think it'd be someone who comes from another world, refuses to kneel before royalty, has, evidently, a soul of a good and honorable person, yet still looks like someone grabbed their arms and legs and stretch them out to a stick. I seriously am questioning my luck." She said, scratching the back of her head.

"I'd say your luck is quite grand!" He said, smiling at her. "At least it's interesting, eh?"


	5. Chapter 5

The three of them sat in the grand dining hall, the glittering crystal spire's beauty not being lost here either. James sat near the end of the table, Meru across from him no the narrow but long table. The doctor was at the other end, calmly cleaning his glasses. Not one to socialize evidently. He could understand that.

"So… You really are from another world." Meru mused, her chin resting on the palm of her hand, staring at James. He merely shrugged.

"I guess I am." He said casually, taking this almost too well.

"You know, you could act worried or scared or… something." She said, though her face held a simple curious expression.

"I guess I'm not one to be easily shaken by weird events. Kind of used to it I guess. But… Trust me; my stomach has been in a knot this entire time. I wouldn't say that I am completely unfazed." He said giving a nervous chuckle and scratching the back of his head. His mind was in complete disarray. He really wanted to go home, yet a strange part of his mind did not. The sense of curiosity and wonder. He'd only been here for a short time, but he had already been taken completely off guard by things of beauty, such as this castle. Castles were typically built on the backs of the poor and misfortunate, but this one clearly was not. No, one could not make this sort of thing. The only things human made here were the stone workings, and all of those looked like they'd been made by skilled masons and craftsmen. Truly, this place could be called a castle forged by artisans.

"I see…" She said, continuing her staring contest with him. What, was he some part of magnificent art piece, or perhaps more like a zoo animal to her?

"See something you like?" He asked jokingly. He wasn't going to be rude about it, but he did want to know what was worth staring at.

"Oh no, sorry! I'm just curious." She said, sitting up straight and waving her hands.

"Curious?" James asked, tilting his head.

"About you and your world. I mean an entirely different world than our own?" She said, said standing up. "Such a thing is unheard of! Amazing!" She said, her expression so comical James couldn't help but burst out laughing. She crossed her arms and huffed at this.

"Don't laugh at me!" She said, glaring at him. James merely raised his hands in apology.

"Sorry, sorry. Tell you what, if you tell me of this world, I'll tell you of mine." He said, smiling at her. Meru smiled back, taking a seat.

"Alright! Now, where to start?"

Hours passed as the two conversed, trading stories and details of the world. James soaked up everything she said, remarking and making questions here and there. Even the doctor came over, adding bits of observations or adding to things Meru said. I guess the chance of learning of a different world was too much for his academic mind to miss out on. While they talked, James learned that the doctor's name was Richard, though he evidently disliked his name, and preferred to be called by his title. James was notably surprised by the revelation of monsters, and the pair were equally surprised by his worlds lacking of them.

"Are you telling me that you never encounter monsters? Ever?" The doctor asked, his face holding a curiosity that almost made James chuckle. He nodded.

"Yes, though we have wild animals, there are no monsters of my world. My country itself is relatively peaceful, if you exclude the criminals and parasites which can grow abundant at times." He explained, gesturing with his arms as he did. Meru had noted that he did that often, even daring him to sit on his hands while he talked. He ended up being unable to properly talk, growing frustrated and getting off his hands to gesture again.

"Fascinating… However, that must mean that you are inexperienced and unable to defend yourself on the road." The doctor observed, stroking his chin.

"Not quite." James said chuckling, waving his hand to dismiss the idea. "I am a trained martial artist. Though I'm far from being a tough fighter, I am capable of fighting off those who wish to harm me." He said. This was true, James had trained in Tae Kwon Do for several years, though he was far from being a tough little bad-ass, he was capable of giving someone a kick that was far from pleasant.

"Your long legs!" Meru said suddenly, raising her arm up into the air, a comical display of inspiration.

"Hm?" James asked at her sudden proclamation.

"You have such long legs, so you must have great reach with your kicks!" She yelled excitedly. James nodded with a surprised look on his face. He certainly didn't expect that kind of observation coming from Meru of all people. Though he remembered now that it was _she _who had saved him and beaten off a horde of bandits. He now wondered how she had done that. She hardly looked immensely strong, nor did she carry any weapon from what he saw…

"Um… Yes, that's right." He said, agreeing with her observation. The doctor nodded, agreeing with her observation evidently.

The three of them continued conversing for quite a while longer, stopping their conversation when a guard entered the room. The Queen requested their presence again; a decision had been made. The three stood, that painful knot of nervousness returning to his gut. She could still have him killed for his disrespect, though he knew that was a paranoid line of thought. Then again, he was a paranoid fellow. They exited the hall Meru giving a light pat on the back in support as they did, taking James off-guard. He glanced at her smiling face.

"Don't worry. Even if they try something, I'll just save you again!" She said. James could not help but to smile.


	6. Chapter 6

It was not long later that they once again found themselves before the Queen. None kneeled, for the Queen had quickly dismissed the act to avoid further disgruntlement from those present. Her face was once again as cold as stone, making James instantly nervous.

"I've come to a decision. In light of Sister Winks counsel and that of your seemingly honorable nature, I've decreed that you…" She said, pausing for a second. James wondered if she was doing this intentionally to mess with him. People could be so mean.

"…will have our assistance in returning to your home. It would do well for us to show our hospitality. We shall investigate a way for you to return to your own world, not to worry. In the meantime, you may stay here, under our care. You shall not want for anything." She said, smiling. James was taken aback by such a generous offer, and while most would leap on it, a mind like James screamed like a cry in the night.

"I thank you for your generosity, however… I must decline." He said. The room was met with a bit of a shocked silence. James quickly moved to explain himself.

"Your resources belong to your people. I have no right to take any of them. I will find a way myself. I thank you for wishing to help me, but I cannot in good conscience accept such help." He said, bowing his head. James knew better than anyone; he had a terrible guilty conscience. And with how he analyzed things, that pretty much meant that taking charity from a government was a no-no. Still… Another part of him was cursing at his own nature for passing up such a great chance. Oh well…

"I see." The Queen finally said, still a little taken aback by the selflessness of the teen in front of her. It was almost… inspiring, for lack of a better word.

"In that case, take this." She said, gesturing toward a knight in the corner. The knight strode over to James, present him with something on a pillow. How dramatic. When he took the object from the pillow, he gave it a close examination. It seemed to be some kind of necklace, with a coin attached. On closer inspection, the coin was reflective.

"That is the symbol of our nation. So long as you bear it, you are free to search and operate as you wish. If you so wish, you can use it to get free lodgings as well…" She began, but a humorous look from James made her grin. She knew he wouldn't use it for that.

"Thank you, I appreciate the thought." He said. James briefly glanced to Meru, who'd been quiet this whole time. He was surprised to find the usually hyper and happy girl looking rather sad. Then it struck him.

"I must ask, Sir James, but why are you so interested in searching the land by yourself?" The Queen asked. James was surprised at how curious the Queen herself was, though he simply smiled in return.

"I won't be going by myself. I'll have the greatest dancer around with me." He said, grinning. He noticed Meru jumping at his statement, before glancing at James. He just smirked in return. She smirked right back.

"Of course!" She said, giving a thumb up and a big smile.

"As for why I want to travel…" James began, touching his hand to his head as it began to throb painfully again.

"I'm certain of it. Every time I try to think of what happened, this thought always returns and my head hurts." He said, closing his eyes, willing the pain to go away. The Queen tilted her head curiously, as did just about everyone else in the room.

"What is it?" She asked. James looked up, a frown on his face, before declaring his statement, the twist in his gut only cementing his belief that it was right.

"I did not come to this world alone."


	7. Chapter 7

After some brief talk with the Queen, James, Meru, and the good doctor found themselves back on the streets, James both pondering and shivering. His thoughts were disjointed, often floating between "where do I go now?" and "Holy crap it's cold." He played with the coin necklace he now wore, his hands always needing something to play with when he thought. Plus, it helped keep his mind off the cold. Sort of.

Meru on the other hand, was excitedly prancing along, completely unaffected by the frigid weather. She glanced to James, noting his occasional shiver. _Poor guy… _She thought, frowning. Then, an idea struck her.

James was taken a bit off guard when he suddenly felt something pressed up against him. He glanced down to see Meru now snuggling him as they walked along. Attempting to fight off a brick-red blush, and failing, he tried to ask what she was doing.

"M-Meru, w-what are you doing?" He stuttered, though from shock or cold even he couldn't tell. She merely grinned up at him, looking suspiciously like a cat eying their prey.

"You're so cold. I thought I'd warm you up." She said her grip unrelenting. James noted that her grip was surprisingly strong for a girl her size. And it wasn't like she was hiding muscle; she was hardly hiding anything. It was at this point James just had to ask.

"Meru, how can you stand the cold in that outfit? You're wearing far less than I am!" He said, though he didn't wiggle out of her grip. In truth, she was quite warm. She merely looked thoughtful for a second, before smiling.

"It's a secret!" She said, before pulling him along before he could question it.

"Come on, let's go get you clothes! For real this time!" She said as they pulled away from the doctor.

"Don't aggravate his wound!" Said doctor yelled as he was pulled away. Oh, this was going to be an interesting trip…

* * *

It wasn't long later that James found himself not only in another boutique, but with a brand new outfit as well. He was examining himself in the mirror, and even he had to admit it. He looked quite dashing.

"You look amazing!" Meru said, twirling around and jumping excitedly. James merely nodded nervously. He wasn't used to compliments. The new outfit was interesting, and one could certainly say stylish. He had boots on, brown in color with ties. They ended just below the knee. They were fairly heavy, most likely from the bits of iron that were attached to parts of it. When Meru had been searching for boots, she'd asked him on his martial arts. When he replied that it was a mostly kicking art, she'd grabbed the heavy boots. Made sense, he supposed, though he wondered if they'd be too heavy.

For pants, she'd grabbed a pair of dusty white trousers, the bottom bits of them tucked away inside the boots. It gave them a baggy look; something James liked what with his rather lanky frame. For a shirt, she'd just grabbed a short sleeved gray tee, of which was also baggy and also tucked away into his shirt. He hadn't wanted to tuck it in, he always hated the feeling of having a tucked in shirt, but Meru was adamant, and damned if he was gonna win an argument with her. After that, she'd tossed him a jacket. Now, James liked this jacket. It was soft and comfortable, and even he had to admit, looked good on him. It was a dark blue coat, of which fit snugly against him. It was long, ending a little above his ankles. With that, his outfit was evidently complete, with Meru grinning mischievously.

"You look fantastic!" She added to her previous exclamation, before running over to the clerk and handing him a small number of coins. Before he even had a moment to voice anything, he was already being tugged out. As they hit the streets again and Meru decided to release him, James finally spoke up.

"You know, you didn't have to buy me clothes. How much were these?" He asked looking at the clothes he now wore. She made a small "pfft" noise.

"Clothes are cheap! It only cost a few coins." She said, skipping along. James taken aback by this.

"They are?" He asked, glancing down at the small girl.

"Of course. Aren't they cheap in your world?" She asked back, tilting her head. James shook his own.

"No, cloths are actually rather expensive at home." He said. In retrospect, he did wonder how much clothes were marked up at home.

"Well, that's just stupid!" She declared, frowning. James laughed.

"I guess so." He said, placing his hands in the pockets of the jacket. They were warm. Joy!

"So, where shall we go?" Meru asked, turning the corner, James quickly following. His only answer was a shrug.

"I don't know this world. I wouldn't even know where to begin!" He declared, his frustrating lack of knowledge already boiling over. What to do, what to do…

"Well, there's a small village, by the name of Decni not far from here." Meru said, finger on her lip in a cute thinking position.

"Decni, huh?" James said curiously. Sounded as good as place as any to start looking. It wasn't like he had any leads. A grin suddenly spread across his face.

"Then what are we waiting for? Let's hit the road! We're wasting time!" He said, a rather adventurous spirit flaring up inside his heart that he didn't know he had. The idea of traveling had always been enticing, and now he finally got to do it. Just not in his world.

"I think not, mister!" Meru said, grabbing onto his sleeve and tugging him inside of a nearby building. James stumbled along as she pulled him with her surprising strength.

"What? Why not?" He asked as he as pulled inside what looked like a bar or something.

"You've been sleeping for 3 days and running around for hours with this recent excitement! You! Need! To! Eat!" She said, exclaiming every word with typical Meru hyperactivity. She added a couple of angry hops to add to her point. What could he say? No? His stomach was already growling to remind him of his lack of food. He merely gave her a nod and a smile. Her happy grin as she pulled him to a nearby wooden table only made his smile hold strong.

"Good boy! Now you sit! I will find us something to eat!" She said, running off to chat with the owner excitedly, gesturing wildly.

The brief moment of solitude from everything was comforting in a way. Ever since he'd woken up he'd been slammed with one thing after another, one crazy event before the next. It was mind-boggling and, dare he say it, a bit frightening. His mind wandered to something his mother had told him once. _"James, you always strike me as the type who would just deal the hand you're dealt." _

Yes, that did seem to sum him up quite nicely. Sure, he could panic, freak, push all these strange and peculiar people away and run and run until his legs couldn't hold him, but then where would he be? Nowhere but lost. '_Besides...' _he thought, glancing over to the strange girl, who'd helped him. The girl who, though she had nothing to gain, saved his life and stuck with him through these weird events and stories.

"I have a friend." He whispered quietly, leaning back in his chair and resting his eyes.

* * *

"James!" A voice called out, making him jump. Glancing around, he noticed he'd dozed off in his chair. Placed in front of him he noted was a plate of food.

"You fell asleep, you goof." She said, grinning mischievously across the table. A plate of food lay in front of her as well.

"Sorry about that, must be more tired than I thought." He said, scratching the back of his head. James glanced down at the food in front of him, smiling at its simplicity. It was simple ground beef with a carrot next to it. Ah, simple food, how he loved thee. He was about to grab a fork and dig in when he glanced at Meru, who was smiling at him with a strange expression on her face.

"Um… What's up?" James asked, a little antsy under her stare. Instead of explaining herself, Meru instead looked like she'd just had a brilliant idea. Then her expression got, dare he say it, _sultry_. Her flirtatious grin only made him a little antsy in his chair.

"Y-yes, Meru?" He said, glancing away. Was she doing this on purpose?

"Oh nothing. It's just fun to see you all flustered." She said. Yup. On purpose.

"OK, that's just mean." James said, pointing at her with his fork, frowning. A moment passed. Then they both burst out laughing. Some of the nearby patrons either gave them annoyed or questioning looks. The two teens just dug into their food, James stomach crying in relief as food finally filled his belly. He was careful not to eat too fast, throwing up would really ruin the moment. The pair of them chatted away, Meru watching carefully to make sure he both ate slowly but still ate it all. Like a little mother hen.

"So, what do we do after this?" James asked, polishing off the rest of his food, nibbling on the piece of carrot. She reached around her back, pulling something out of the fluffy ribbon she used as decoration. Placing it out on the table, she unfolded it.

"A map?" He said, recognizing it from the one the doctor had showed him previously. Meru nodded. She pointed at a small dot next to what looked like illustrated trees, marking a forest or the like.

"That's Decni. It's not far from the nearby forest, only a couple days travel. Thankfully, it's almost Spring there. It's the middle of winter here, but the farther south we go, the warmer it'll get!" She said, giving her trademark mischievous grin. James nodded, leaning forward. He felt considerably better now that he had eaten something.

"Sounds good to me. How are we going to get there?" He asked, glancing up. She gave him a quizzical look.

"Well, walking." She said, a little befuddled by his question. James mentally smacked his forehead. Of course. No cars or trains or anything.

"Right, walking, sorry." He said, rubbing his forehead. Well, at least it was good for him. Glancing back at Meru, he questioned further.

"When shall we leave?" He asked, his stomach twisting a bit. It was only now that he realized just how nervous he was. He had never really traveled, least not in a car with luxuries. He'd have to rough it… This would be oh so fun.

"Today if at all possible, that is, unless you want to stick around for a while longer." James considered this for a second. He hadn't traveled before, and he was still injured, as the pain in his head reminded him. Shaking his head, he dismissed those thoughts.

"No, let's leave today. I hate this blasted cold. Besides, the sooner we hit the road, the sooner I can find my friend. With any luck, he's alright…" James said, his mind wandering again. He couldn't recall what happened, or who he was with at the time, which made it especially annoying. He still hoped he was unharmed… For all he knew-

Meru bopped him on the nose again.

"No bad thoughts." She said, pointing at him accusingly. James rubbed his nose before smiling. Always helping.

"Yes, ma'am." He said, sticking his tongue out at her, which she replied with an equally childish tongue of her own.

"This will be fun, I promise!" She said, smiling at him. James just couldn't help it. He smiled back. Her smile… Was just contagious.


	8. Chapter 8

Not long after the pair had discussed their plans, they were on the road. After a couple hours of running around, grabbing supplies and charting a route, they had managed to get moving. James was relieved to actually be making some progress. Finally moving along.

"So, any ideas on how to pass the time?" James asked as they traversed the path. In truth, walking would be quite boring if they didn't find time to amuse themselves. Well, at least in his opinion.

"Well, we still need to teach you about this world!" She said, placing her hands behind her head. James nodded. This was very true. He was fairly ignorant of most of the world.

"Well alright then. Shall we start the lesson then?" He said, grinning down at the short girl. She just grinned right back.

* * *

It was several hours into their trip, as well as into their lesson which had very quickly turned into a fascinating conversation that the danger of this world decided to remind James that he was not at home.

"Wait." Meru said suddenly, reaching for a metal pole that was sticking out of the back of her bag.

"What is it?" He asked, his body tensing up. He felt it too. A sense of… being watched. His eyes scanned the snowy drifts, trying to find what could be out there. A flash of movement caught his attention in the corner of his eye.

"Over there!" He yelled pointing at a small sapling sticking out of the snow.

"I saw something move." He said, readying a stance that his teacher had grounded into his body. He carefully slid up to the sapling, Meru not far behind with her hand on whatever was sticking out of her bag. James reached the tree, glancing around it, carefully eying the snow. He saw nothing. Feeling a little embarrassed, he shrugged. He opened his mouth to tell her he'd just made a mistake before she leaped forward.

"Duck!" She screamed pulling out the object stashed in her bag. James didn't have time to see exactly what it was before he'd thrown himself at the ground, the feeling of something hurtling over his head, missing by what couldn't have been more than an inch, and a loud smack ringing through the air.

James quickly flipped around, pushing himself into a sitting position and glancing to Meru. She stood by the now broken and bent sapling.

"You OK? Anything hurt?" She asked, turning around and walking over to him, extending a hand to help him up. James took her hand and pulled himself up.

"Just my pride. What happened?" He asked, still completely lost. She pointed at the sapling.

"Monster. Disguises itself as a tree." She said. At this, James couldn't help but sweat a bit. This world really was dangerous. Though, he supposed that could have happened with any animal back home too. But not a tree...

"Well, let's continue before the noise attracts any more monsters." She said, hefting the weapon she'd pulled out earlier. When James eyes met the weapon, his jaw dropped.

"Jesus!" He yelled as he saw the ridiculously huge hammer she wielded. That thing was freaking enormous! How the hell did she wield that like it was some kind of stick?

"What?" She asked, casually tossing the hammer over her shoulders, resting her arms on it oh-so-nonchalantly.

"Nothing, nothing." He said. Honestly, he almost didn't want to know how she wielded such an enormous thing. Though it settled the point as to how a girl who was barely above five feet could carry him all the way to the city.

"Well, if you say so." She said continuing down the trial, James following shortly. Oh, this was really going to be interesting.

* * *

It wasn't much later that they found themselves at a small clearing, the sun having just descended the horizon, leaving them in darkness. Thus, James first night in the chilly wild began.

"Mind collecting some wood for me, James?" She asked as she began to unfold their beds, which large accumulated as some fluffy blankets. James had a strange feeling they were lucky to have fluffy blankets, instead of rags or the like.

"Sure thing." He said, hopping over a rock and into the nearby woods. James was extra alert, not wanting to have another nasty run in with some other monster that would likely want to nibble on his limbs. He quickly grabbed at whatever sticks and wood he could find, hastily getting back to the camp.

As he arrived back into camp, Meru had finished setting up both their beds, now making a little rock circle for a fire.

"Got some wood?" She asked turning and smiling. He just nodded, placing the wood next to the little ring of stones.

"Know how to make a fire?" She asked, to which could only reply with a helpless but humorous expression.

"That a no?" She asked

"Yeah, that's a no." He replied. Meru rolled her eyes and smiled, setting up the fire herself. James looked away, scanning the stars. No North Star or any other constellations he recognized. Truly, he had the weirdest of luck. James felt warmth spreading over him, causing him to glance down. A fire now crackled, some twigs and a log he'd found burning.

"That was fast." He said, raising an eyebrow. Meru just grinned at him.

"I'm awesome like that." She said, plopping herself down on her blankets. They both sat in silence for a while, basking in the warm fire, occasionally adding a stick or the like to keep it burning. After a while of silence, Meru fell back, groaning.

"I'm boooored." She said, rolling around on her blanket. James gave a small chuckle at her display, to which she only leaned up and glared at him.

"Amuse me!" She yelled, pointing dramatically at James.

"Amuse you?" He replied, giving her a funny look. "How would I do that?" He asked, shrugging in her direction. She merely gave him a huffy look before standing up and grabbing his wrist, yanking him onto his feet.

"Can you dance?" She asked seriously. At this James… blanked.

"I guess…" He said, not really sure how to answer the question. He wasn't much of a dancer really.

"Here, let me show you…" She said, taking both his hands into her own. She guided him pointing out things, like how to move his feet. James was strangely entranced by this whole thing, finding it quite… fun. Yes, fun was the right word.

"Here, like this… You're not that bad." She said, her grin holding strong. She'd been grinning ever since they began, to which James himself could only grin in response. It was a simple little dance, moving the foot around, pulling away and forward. James just matched the movements and watched not to step on her feet. That'd be embarrassing.

"Tired?" She asked, grinning at him. James at first gave her a funny look, before a yawn crept out of his mouth.

"A bit." He admitted. She just smiled, letting him go. They both stretched, almost in perfect unison.

"Let's hit the hay!" She yelled, pushing him over to his bed/blanket thing. He plopped down on it, taking off his coat and bunching it up into a make-shift pillow. Meru was using her bag in a similar fashion across the flames.

"Good night James." She said quietly, her tired eyes drooping already.

"Good night Meru." He said equally as quiet, his eyes closing, and the warmth of the fire drifting him off to sleep. And for the first time since he'd arrived in this crazy weird world, James slept peacefully.


	9. Chapter 9

The pair awoke at the crack of dawn, just as the sun shone in their eyes. James groaned audibly, shivering. Why was it so cold in his room? After cracking his eyes open and peering around, he frowned.

"Oh. Right." He said, glancing over to Meru. She was already out of her bedroll, rubbing the sleepiness out of her eyes. James rolled over and out of the fluffy blanket, groaning. Rubbing the sleep out of his own eyes, he stood up; only to practically fall over. His legs were _burning_. He immediately sat back down, pushing his legs out in front of him. Oh damn did they hurt.

"You OK?" Meru asked from across the smoldering fire, the sleepiness still etched across her face.

"Legs are killin me." James said lightly, rubbing them carefully, trying to work out the strain. Why did they hurt so much? It didn't make sense… wait.

"How far did we walk, Meru?" James asked, eying her. She looked thoughtful for a second, before answering.

"About 25, maybe 30 miles?" She said, shrugging. James groaned loudly. That explained it. James was not an athlete. Nor physically fit really. Thirty miles? No wonder his legs were screaming at him.

"You OK to continue?" Meru asked as she pushed herself off her bed, grabbing some spare wood that was left and putting it into their little fire-circle.

"Yeah, I'll be OK." He said. What else could he say? Nothing without looking like a complete fool. But damn! He was simply not used to this sort of travel or exercise. It was right now that he really wished he'd worked out a little more.

James spent the duration of their early morning activities rubbing the soreness from his legs, only partially making any progress. The entire time Meru gave him skeptical looks, though James wasn't sure if it was out of worry or out of surprise for his lack of fitness. He really hoped it was the first.

* * *

It was another sixteen hours later they stopped for camp, though they took numerous breaks between their trip to allow James to catch his breath. James felt more than a little ashamed. Here he was, nearly a full grown man, having to slow down like this when a girl who was far younger, far smaller, yet far more fit than he. Meru took no mind of it however, and for that, he was so grateful. Even if he didn't say it.

"Why are we stopping here?" He asked, though his legs screamed at him as they began to set up camp.

"Because I don't want you to hurt yourself!" She said honestly, pointing at him. Her expression was… hard to make out. It wasn't irritated or mad, but a little more caring in a way. James just smiled and nodded, going along. They set up their camp like last time, James dragging his pain filled legs around to gather wood while Meru set up the camp. James found a smile on his face that he just could not shed for some reason, bewildering him. As he placed the wood next to the circle, he straightened his back out, it giving a large number of cracks and snaps. Hoo boy… This sleeping on the ground was doing wonders. Though he felt a tad guility leaving Meru to do what was left, his body was just too tired. He collapsed onto his fluffy blanket.

"I love you Fluffy Blanket." He said humorously, hugging the soft fabric.

"You don't work much, from where you are from, do you?" Meru asked as the fire began to spring to life. James grimaced a bit.

"No, not really… And my back easily gets worn out." He admitted, somewhat shamefully. Meru said no more, instead cooking a little soup in a tiny pot for the two of them over the fire. James eyes began to drift a bit, the warmth of the fire like a blanket…

"Oof!" He said, as he felt a weight suddenly deposit itself on his back. Turning a bit, he glanced back at Meru, who'd taken residence there.

"Hullo." She said, a little grin on her face, placing a bowl of soup in front of his face.

"Hello. What are you doing?" He asked with a raised eyebrow and a skeptical look. She replied with but a grin.

"Helping!" She said before placing her hands on his back and giving a bit of a push. Oh. A massage he realized, though before he could say anything his head was already on the blanket, eyes fluttering a bit as her hands worked at the bent and twisted muscles on his back. He'd object but… she was just too good!

"How am I?" She asked curiously, wondering if she was helping at all. James only reply was a satisfied sigh. Meru beamed at this, continuing to work at his back. Oh yes… This was heavenly. James felt his soreness creeping out of his body, his eyes fluttering for a bit, before he just plain fell asleep.


	10. Chapter 10

Meru smiled down at the boy she'd decided to give a massage. She didn't have a reason for giving him one. She just noticed how much it must have been bothering him and… well, leaped on it. Or rather, leaped on him. He didn't seem to have any objections and…

"James?" She asked, leaning over and glancing at his face. He'd fallen asleep! Was she that good? She must be.

"I'm just that awesome!" She said to herself in a sing-song tone, working at his muscles despite his sleeping. When he woke up, he'd be in much better shape!

They should have been in town already, but it was looking like he wouldn't make it that far, not without falling over. She'd noticed that he'd been pushing himself ever since they'd woken up, and it'd been her who had decided to break when she noticed him having an especially rough time. He was a nice guy, but too proud. Pushing aside his own burdens for others… Definitely a nice guy. But too nice. She wasn't going to let him hurt himself or overexert himself for such a silly reason! After all, they were in no rush!

…Or perhaps they were? How badly did he want to get home? He was a cool guy, she could tell from their conversations, but this wasn't his world. She was sure he'd want to get home as soon as he could. Still, it was nice to have company while traveling while she could. She had no destination, the wind guided her… and right now, the wind told her to go with James, to help him find a way home. It would certainly be a story for home!

Home… The thought distracted her for a moment. She quickly shook the thought out of her head. Meru noted the soup ball that was left uneaten by James, reaching over and helping herself. She loved her own cooking! She should, since it was amazing! Or so she believed.

As she sipped away the last of the soup, placing the bowl to the side, she went back to working his back, like she was working out the pain that had slowed the pair of them down. His back was really knotted up… all rough and twisted. Poor guy.

Time seemed to just creep by as she worked on his back, her work somehow enticing for some reason. Not long later, even she felt sleep's drowsy effect working its way on her as she dozed off to her own dreams…

* * *

Wow, been awhile guys! I have to thank the latest reviewer! Due to illness, I've been bedridden for most of the week and it was this reviewers post that reminded me to upload the latest chapter! Thank you very much!

I thank ALL reviewers for their kind words. You give me the drive to keep writing!

I have more plans for Meru and James adventure through the world of Endiness, so keep tuned in!


	11. Chapter 11

Well, guess what? With the latest reviewer, that brings me to 7 reviews! And, if I recall correctly, I promised an additional chapter after 5! So, with that, I give you another!

This one IS short, and as some recent constructive critique has pointed out, that is one of my weaknesses! In the future, I am going to try and make the chapters a bit longer, try and add more details perhaps. Take note however, that I have 14 total chapters completed, I just update weekly! This is partially to make up for my missing the Monday update and to reward your very helpful and encouraging reviews!

With that, enjoy this short humorous chapter.

* * *

James awoke as he felt the breeze of the morning air blow past him. Man, he'd slept way better than the night before. More so, his back felt great!

But heavy for some reason… James strained his neck, glancing over his shoulder, eyes going wide as he saw what was actually on his back. Meru. Sleeping. Very soundly, he noticed. James didn't know what to do… Should he wake her up? He didn't have the heart. She looked so comfortable. Plus, even he had to admit it; it was actually fairly comfy having a warm body cuddling up on him. At this thought, James felt his ears go red.

Meru moved in her sleep, digging her head into his back, to which James could only lay motionless. His mind raced as he tried to think of something to do. Would she be mad? He didn't see why, she was the one who fell asleep there! Though they'd have been in town if it wasn't for him…

James just placed his head down on his jacket again, allowing time to fly by as Meru slumbered. It was comfortable, if highly embarrassing.

"Come to think of it… She is rather cute when she sleeps." He mused, speaking his thoughts aloud. After what felt like an hour pass, James caught a small giggle escape from his back. James quickly craned his neck again and glared at the 'snoozing' girl.

"How long have you been awake?!" He said, to which she only giggled again, pushing off his back, though kindly using it as a chair instead of a bed.

"Oh, just at the 'cute' part." She said, smiling sweetly at him. James felt his ears burn red again. She just giggled once more before hopping off and skipping over to her gear. James pushed himself off his little blanket-bed, stretching. His back really did feel better, and the soreness of his legs had mostly subsided. He gave another indignant glare at the mischievous girl, who'd taken to humming as she packed up her gear. James quickly did the same, still far too embarrassed to say anything. He'd just been musing…

The pair had gathered their gear and continued along the road, though their usual conversation was fairly quiet, James still too embarrassed to actually speak. After a while, Meru grew bored of this. She reached over and poked him in the rib.

"Hey!" He yelled, jerking as she prodded him. She just smiled, continuing to look straight ahead. James frowned, before smirking. He reached over and poked her back. She jerked similarly, before glaring back at him. She poked him again. He poked back. It was not long later that they had gone into an all out "poking war", the two sides prodding and poking at whatever they could, laughter quickly breaking out as the two had their mischief.

Finally, the pair grew tired, their laughter leaving them breathless, but beaming great smiles. James felt the awkwardness and embarrassment slide away.

"I have a surprise for you!" Meru said, grinning a toothy smile at him. He cocked his head curiously. She suddenly pointed over the hill he'd just noticed they were climbing. He glanced over it… and saw the town.

"We're here!" She declared, taking a dramatic pointing pose, her smile strong and steady. James felt himself smiling too, in the back of his mind glad they'd actually have a bed to sleep in. Yes… Here, here was the first step in is journey.

He'd be home soon, he could just feel it.


	12. Chapter 12

The pair strolled into the town, crossing its little gate casually. James was captivated by the sight for some reason… Perhaps it was the overly simple nature of it? Farms and gardens dotted the landscape, clearly a village of farmers.

"You didn't have this kind of reaction back in Deningrad, what gives?" Meru asked curiously as they strolled down the main road. James flipped around, continuing down the path backwards as he smiled his silly grin.

"Look at all these farms. Where there are farms, there are farmers. And farmers, are some of the most noble and honest people in the world." He stated that goofy grin still plastered on his face. Meru cocked her head in confusion at his statement. Noble? Honest? She didn't think they were the contrary, but she was confused as to what his reasoning was. Spotting her confused look, James explained himself.

"Farmers work long and hard hours, through the seasons, surviving off the sweat of their brow. They are truly the noble ones, not some fluffy princess or king in their comfy castles." He said, his eyes flashing brilliantly. Meru was a bit taken aback by this explanation, but really had nothing to say in response. He held some good points…

"Anyway, let's get to the Inn, Princey." Meru said, quickening her pace and playfully shoving James so that he'd walk like a normal person. James obliged and flipped back around, walking straight, though that little grin of his never faltered as they strode into the town square.

The pair arrived at the Inn, Meru immediately hurrying over to the keeper and arranging a room for them to stay. It was while he waited on her that he realized something. Meru had been the one paying for everything. He obvious had no money that could be used in this world but that still meant that he was basically free-loading off Meru, something that quickly began to itch and bother his brain. To distract himself from his thoughts, James glanced around the room. It was mostly empty, with only a couple of customers, most of whom were simply enjoying the peace and quiet of the likely usually loud tavern.

His thoughts were again cut off by Meru patting him on the back. As he glanced down at her, she thumbed in the direction of a room at the top of the stairs, smiling slightly.

"Guess what? We get beds!" She said, beaming. Ah, beds. With any luck, they'd be fluffy. Very fluffy. The pair wandered up to their rooms, James giving it a look-over for where they'd be staying. He was a little surprised at how good it looked. It wasn't modern, but it fit the appearance of a nice log cabin. It was also oddly warm…

"Look at this!" Meru said, running over to a small little hole in the ground. James wandered over to it, suddenly feeling the heat it emanated.

"It must be connected to the fire downstairs." She said, smiling. James was a little surprised at this. It was a bit… advanced from what he had seen previously. It dawned on him that this world may not have followed the same science and technology of his own world, possibly being further ahead in some respects or farther behind in others. This was certainly going to be an interesting journey. James tossed the bag, which Meru had given him, onto one of the two beds. James summarily plopped down on it himself.

"Fluffy…" He said, smiling. Thank God these people had invented fluffy blankets. Oh thank God.

"Whelp! I'm going to go out and explore the town! What about you?" Meru asked, wandering on over to the door frame and smiling. James pushed himself off his bead and glanced over to her, thinking for a moment.

"I'm going to go look around myself. Mayhaps I'll find something useful. I'm sure this place will be louder and rumors more likely to be found at night." James said, glancing out the window. It was still afternoon, so he'd have to find a way to occupy himself. Meru nodded, gave a quick wave and a happy smile, before bolting out the door. James grinned himself, following suit just a moment later.

The town was small, with people in a very tiny population, from what James could tell. All the buildings were built into little blocks next to each other, the spacing of these little boxes quite a distance in between. James noticed that everyone seemed to stare at him for some reason… from the children, to the house wives, men, everyone. It was a little disconcerting. James didn't let it bother him, instead focusing on looking around. On a whim, he entering what appeared to be a small shop.

As James entered, the clerk put down a small bottle that he'd been cleaning. The man had a trimmed brown beard, a balding head, and a friendly smile. James felt strangely welcome.

"Welcome stranger. How can I help you?" He said welcomingly, placing an elbow on the counter and grinning. James gave a grin right back.

"Well, I'm…" He began, thinking for a moment to try and justify his ignorance. "… New to these lands." He said. That'd work.

"You don't say?" The man replied, an expression of interest crossing his face. He then suddenly gestured toward a chair in the corner of the room.

"Pull up a seat! Never met a foreigner round' these parts!" He said amiably when James gave him a questioning look. James was a bit taken aback but did so, pleasantly surprised. One couldn't help but be a little surprised by such friendliness when everyone from back home was so… unfriendly. Always in a rush.

"Thank you." James said politely as he took a seat, leaning back on the hand-made chair.

"So, what brings you to these parts? We don't get to many travelers other than food merchants." The man asked.

"Well, I'm currently trying to find a friend of mine." James began, his mind buzzing, making sure he didn't reveal something crazy. Like being from another world. That'd be a conversation killer.

"A lady friend perhaps?" The man asked suddenly, a smile being seen from behind his beard. James quickly raised his hands, shaking his head.

"No, no! Just a friend! Lost track of him recently!" He said, the man laughing at his flustered response. Truth be told, it left a sour taste in his mouth that he couldn't even remember who he'd been with. For all he knew, it could have been a lady friend. But that was doubtful.

"I see, I see! Well, can't say I've seen any foreigners around here I'm afraid." The man said, stealing the question off James lips. James frowned at this. He quickly abashed himself, shaking his head. He couldn't expect to find anything just days into his journey. That'd be foolish. James eyes caught glimpse of the bottle the man had been polishing moments before, noticing the strange blue liquid inside of it.

"What's that?" James asked curiously, tilting his head toward the bottle. The man glanced at the bottle, before looking at James surprisingly.

"They don't have healing potions from here you come from?" He asked, to which James could only shake his head. The man's surprised look remained for another moment before it vanished and he plucked up the bottle.

"It's a type of liquid that helps with injuries. It helps the wounds close faster, you see. Rather simple to make with some local fruits." He explained, James soaking up every word. It was at this time that he glanced around, noticing many items to which he couldn't even guess the use of. The man took note of his wandering and confused eyes, and immediately set into explaining the variety of objects the man had in stock. Several things James could easily recognize, like imported goods such as cloth. Evidently the town didn't have a tailor, so he imported cloth for people to use to make clothes themselves. Others he was both baffled and amazed with. He practically fell off the chair when the man explained the few "magic spells in a box" items. He didn't have that many, but still! Magic! This world suddenly was far more awesome than his original conception. It was at this time James also realized he lacked money of any sort.

"Say, is there any place I could make a little money?" James asked curiously. The man looked thoughtful for a moment, before nodding.

"Aye, I believe that the blacksmith nearby was saying that he could really use a…Oh! Speak of the devil!" The man said suddenly, looking up at the door. James quickly pivoted in place, turning to see this new arrival. The man who entered was of no impressive height but had muscles the size of boulders. The man had an enormous beard, untrimmed unlike the shopkeeper, scraggly and graying.

"Lo' there Nicholas. Just talking about ya'." He said, to which the man tilted his head in confusion as he approached the counter.

"Oh? What did I miss Will…?" He asked casually, glancing down at James.

"This traveler was looking for some work to do while he was in town. Think you could help him out?" He asked. James stood quickly, extending a hand in greeting. Had to make a decent impression and all. The man took his hand in his own giant one, giving a firm handshake that James tried and failed to match.

"James, at your service." He said, smiling. Nicolas gave him a look over, looking a tad odd next to the taller but far slimmer James. After awhile he gave a nod.

"You look like you could be of some help. My usual assistant is busy with his family, helping with the harvest. Stop by tomorrow. We'll see if you can take his place." He said. James smiled at this. Freeloading: gone!


	13. Chapter 13

James practically wished he'd never asked for the job. Two weeks had rolled by, James running down to Nicholas forge every morning, and he'd never hurt so much in his entire life. The room was always boiling hot, the lifting was hard and heavy, and the deliveries were all on foot and always miles out. His legs and arms were screaming at him every morning, every afternoon, and every night. However, he had money. Not a lot of it, but certainly he had money.

Meru had taken his announcement that he'd gotten a job with surprise, then amusement when he told her what. It dawned on him now that she likely knew that stringy, lanky, weak James was going to be busting his ass to a degree that'd make grown men cry. Well, grown men from home.

"Enjoy yourself?" Meru asked from her bed as James stumbled inside, his legs once again a tired heavy mess. He collapsed on his own bed, making only a muffled sound of discomfort as his face was buried in the fluffy blankets. Meru just giggled at this.

"So, what've you been up too?" James asked, as he rolled his tired head on the very fluffy pillow. The weeks had just flown by as they stayed in the town, James working at the forge so much for Nicholas that he barely had the energy to talk to Meru before he just passed out onto his bed. Meru rolled off her own bed, gracefully getting on her feet in a somewhat over-the-top way as she did a little twirl onto her feet.

"Well, I've been dancing every night! How do you think I get my money?" She chirped, smiling. To, this James, could only ponder. He hadn't really thought about it honestly, though she did say she was a dancer. James couldn't help but not take it too seriously, though he realized that may have been… a little ignorant. Perhaps it was time he learned a bit more about the one person who'd helped him, without question or hesitation…

"So, Meru, tell me about yourself." He said, pushing himself to the edge of the bed, his sore muscles protesting painfully. Meru gave him an alarmed expression, quickly turning her head away from him.

"Why do you want to learn about me?" She asked moodily, to which James could only smile. As he spent time with Meru, he'd learned that when she got all grumpy it was because she was nervous or agitated. She also looked incredibly cute when she got grumpy.

"You've stuck with me since I arrived on this world, taught me the history and knowledge I needed, even paid for my food and bed. You saved my life, Meru. I want to know more about you." He said, smiling at her, his expression so like him. Meru shifted uncomfortably in place, before strolling across the room and taking a seat next to him.

"So, what would you like to know?" She asked nervously, staring at the floor. James grin only grew at this response.

"What drove you to travel?" He asked, shifting in place to get a good look at her nervous figure. Why was she so nervous at talking about herself? He'd have to be careful with what questions he asked.

"I wanted to see the world. To live my life the way I wanted to, to be free." She said, looking up, her eyes seemingly elsewhere, her thoughts wandering. James just nodded at this. He could relate to such thoughts. The desire to be free was a strong one indeed, to lead your own life, make your own choices, and suffer your own folly's.

"I see… Why dancing?" He asked, moving on to the next question. No need to linger. At this she glanced up at him curiously, her crimson meeting his chocolate. She was smiling again. This made James happy. Though, he had no idea why… He just chalked it up to friendship; he hated when his friends were unhappy.

"It's… a passion. I just love to dance. It's the one time I truly feel… free." She said. Her eyes were alive, shining one could say, as she said this. Yes, James understood passion, he understood it quite well. Feeling mischievous, he reached over and scruffled Meru's hair, to which she took on an adorable expression as she tried to shoo his hand away. Laughing, James pulled his hand away, grinning down at the shorter Meru.

"That's admirable Meru." He said. Meru looked surprised by this response, before scratching the back of her head.

"Thank you." She said shyly. James tilted his head, a questioning look on his face. Was she not used to compliments or praise? That was… kind of sad. James shook off the thoughts again, instead replacing his expression with a happy one. He'd have to compliment her more then. There little moment was cut off by a rather rude cracking and ripping sound. Wait, cracking and ripping? Both Meru and James leaped to the window of their room, narrowly avoiding tripping over the other as they swung the window open, the much taller James getting a good view. A glance down would see several other residents looking about, including the inn owner himself, who glanced up at his customers.

"Do you see anything?!" He yelled up, to which James looked up and scanned the horizon. At first he saw nothing, just a long stretch of land and tree's. Then he saw it, in the corner of his eye, almost missing it. The tree's canopy shook, before a tall tree's top vanished. One second it was there, the next another cracking sound could be heard through the air as the tree just fell from sight. He could have sworn he saw something else, something dark green, like moss, sticking out of the canopy's, but nothing now. James frowned glancing down at the awaiting Innkeeper.

"Something is in the forest. I don't know what. It looks like a tree fell over or something." James said, a bit unhelpfully. The man frowned in reply, turning around and heading back inside. Meru and James turned to each other, matching frowns on their face.

"I think our peaceful trip just got a little more unpleasant." Meru said simply, glancing at the tree tops. James said nothing in reply, his eyes just glaring at the horizon, wondering what on earth he had seen in those trees. What indeed…


	14. Chapter 14

James awoke, feeling the comfortable sensation of the inn's fluffy blankets. His head had a small throb, James remembering the sweet drink he'd had last night. What'd happened? Pushing himself off the pillows, he rubbed his eyes, glancing around the room. It was at this time he wished for two things. One: That he'd never woken up, and two: At the same time thanking God that he did, for before him was the loveliest sight that was likely about to get him horribly killed. Evidently, Meru thought he'd still been sleeping, so had taken it upon herself to wash up. As his eyes full upon her, he also fell upon the sight of Meru; sans clothing. They found each other staring at each other for a brief moment. Then Meru did what most girls would do in her situation. Oh wait, no she didn't, she grabbed her hammer and threw it at him.

"Peeper!" She screamed at him, James getting smacked in the head and falling off the side of the bed, his head painfully smacking onto the wooden floor. James wanted to say he was sorry, but was too busy reliving the sight over and over in his mind and smiling at the pretty stars that were floating through the air. Mornings; so exciting.

* * *

As the pair decended down the stairs, Meru grumpy and James rubbing his now-extra-sore head, they were greeted by the Innkeeper, who held an almost annoyingly knowing grin.

"Have a lovers spat?" He said cheerfully, smirking. It took James a second to register what the man was implying.

"Lovers-? Of course not! Don't be ridiculous!" He said, flustered all to hell. Meru nodded, jabbing James in the ribs.

"Yeah, he was just being a perv." She said, frowning and taking a seat at the bar.

"I told you! I was just waking up! How was I supposed to know?" He said, trying to reason with the now moody girl. She just huffed and went to eating her breakfast as the Innkeeper placed it in front of her. James sighed, taking a seat himself and eating his own. The breakfast was quiet and, in James case, sulky. He was divided between adoring the sight he'd just seen and unhappy that Meru was mad at him. Not much he could really do… Well, besides apologize… And now didn't seem like the wisest time to do that; she looked like she was still ready to beat him over the head with her hammer. He'd just have to deal with it; he was heading over to the forge soon anyway.

Quickly finishing his breakfast, he thanked the innkeeper, gave him a gold from his pocket; his share of the room and board for the day. With that he turned to say good bye to Meru, but she was still eating and didn't seem keen on talking. He just sighed miserably and waddled toward the door. As he got to the door, a voice called to him.

"James."

He turned to look back to Meru who was now looking at him, though still grumpy. She crossed her arms for a moment and glanced to the side.

"See ya." She said quietly. James smiled.

"See ya." He replied, before heading out the door and off to the forge; in a much better mood than he was moments before.

* * *

Working in the forge was as tough as usual, though the work seemed a tad easier than before. He accounted it to his growing physique… Perhaps that was a tad generous. Actually gaining muscles perhaps?

As he worked, carrying heavy metal materials into the room, Nicholas approached him, a smile on his bearded face.

"Lo' there Nicholas." James said, heaving the box up on top of another, grunting from the strain, sweat beading down his body. Tiring work, without a doubt.

"Getting hungry?" Nicholas asked, grabbing a rag and washing his hands of the soot and grime that had accumulated. James looked up, a mildly surprised expression on his face.

"A bit." He answered honestly, grabbing another box and pushing it on top of the other. James wasn't exactly accustomed to the concept of 'hard work' but he had to admit; he liked it. Sure, it was hard, tiring, and even painful with how much work he did, but at the end of the day, he felt an overwhelming sense of pride. Hard work was food for the soul.

"In that case, let's take a break. I could use some lunch myself." He said, patting James on the back with a massive paw-like hand. James grinned, nodding and following Nicholas outside. Nicholas always reminded James of a big brown bear. Massively muscled, and with a big head of hair and a long beard. He really did look like a big bear.

The pair walked down the dirt road, not traveling far, though James could spot their destination from the smell before he even saw where they were headed. At first he was kind of curious where they could eat, seeing as the village wasn't exactly big, but his question was answered quite quickly. A small stall stood on the side of the road, right in front of a modest wooden house, not unlike numerous other houses. However, the radiant smell that wafted past James nose made it stand out oh so much.

As the unlikely pair took a seat on one of the wooden stools in front of the booth, James spotted the source of the smell. A giant pot of stew, creamy and delicious looking. James could practically feel his mouth water at the sight.

"Ey' there Jack! Pour a couple bowls for me and my new assistant." Nicholas said cheerfully, plopping an arm onto the counter. James squirmed in the chair, somewhat uncomfortable. It had nothing to do with either of the men; they were both chatting amiably and being friendly. James was just not that great at talking to folks sometimes. He smiled as a bowl of cream soup was plopped in front of him, urging another smile onto his face.

"Consider it a thank you for all the hard work you've been doing." Nicholas said, giving James another pat on the back with his massive hands. James couldn't help but to smile.

"Thank you, Nicholas." He said formally, grabbing a spoon and digging in. It tasted as good as it smelled. Further proof that home-made recipes were always the best thing. As the pair of unlikely fellows savored their meal, Nicholas gave a small glance at the younger boy next to him. Truly was a strange person, quite out of the ordinary. Incredibly tall, to the point that some were even whispering that he may have some kind of Giganto blood in him, though that was just pesky rumors milling amongst the youth. In truth, the boy had been a great help, even if he wasn't exactly the fittest. The boy was practically all bone when he'd first arrived, though he worked hard and did what was asked of him. Everyone around town had a high opinion of the peculiar traveler, known around town for being polite and helpful. Still, his appearance was jarring, and it worried some of the more superstitious or paranoid lot.

"So, I heard you had a lovers' spat this morning." Nicholas said, sipping away at his soup as James struggled to not spit out what was in his mouth at the statement. James attempted to recover, babbling nonsensical words. Finally managing to get a hold of himself, he put his spoon down and turned to Nicholas.

"Who told you that? We just had a little issue this morning!" He said. Nicholas turned to him, a grin on his face. They sat like that for a moment before James caught what Nicholas was smiling about.

"And we're not lovers! Really!" He said hastily, frowning at Nicholas bearded grin, sliding back around and eating at his soup again. Geez. This whole village thought they were together. He'd only known her for barely a month! This was ridiculous!

"Mhmm. Whatever you say." Nicholas smirked, getting back to his soup, polishing it off far faster than James.

"Do we look like lovers to you?!" James growled, which only seemed to egg the burly man on.

"Seeing as you two look just like me and my wife at your age… Yes, yes you do." He said, turning on the stool and leaning on the wooden table. James could only growl at the man, who was clearly enjoying himself. Giving a shake of his head, James quickly finished off the rest of his soup, ignoring the man's teasing. Meru and he were not lovers. That was just the fact of it all! Why these people thought otherwise baffled him.

The pair finished their meals with some bread and paid the man for his food, heading back to the smithy to finish up their work. The sun was still high in the sky after all.

* * *

Later that evening, James crawled his way home, his muscles as sore as ever from the back breaking work that Nicholas put him through. When he arrived at the Inn, he found Meru at the bar waiting for him, much to his surprise.

"Hey." She said quietly, kicking her feet back and forth on the stool. James closed the door behind him, scratching the back of his head.

"Hey." He simply said in reply, nervously taking a few steps toward the bar and taking a seat next to her. A few moments, which felt like minutes, of silence went on, leaving the two just sitting there looking a little silly, in James mind at the very least.

"I'm sorry I hit you." Meru finally said. "I know you didn't peek on purpose. My bad." She added, looking down at the table. James sat there for a moment, his mind buzzing with how to respond, before he slid over a bit, putting an arm around her shoulders, causing her to jump a bit.

"No problem. I should have given a little thought before staring at you." He said, a little laugh attaching itself at the end of his sentence. "I'm sorry as well." He added, knowing that he needed to make a proper apology as well, to make up for the previous weird statement. James half expected her to move away from his arm, but instead she surprised him by leaning into him, a smile on her face. Glancing down at the almost frail looking girl, James smiled too.

However… Peace, never lasts.

* * *

OK folks, I know a good many of you are looking at this story and asking yourself "When is the plot going to start picking up?" And the answer to that question is next chapter. Things will be getting heavier, and that M rating will get its use.

I would like to take the time to thank all of those who review. You brighten my day and make me smile, regardless if it's praise or criticism. It makes this story worth writing. As such, I dedicate the next chapter, to all of my reviewers. I thank you.


	15. Chapter 15

Two weeks later, in the middle of the night…

James tossed and turned in his sleep, his face straining painfully, his grip on the sheets turning his knuckles white. Deep within his mind, the images flashed with a dizzying pace, with no clear relevance. He saw images of his family, his martial arts teacher, and the face of… of…

"Ja-!" He began as he awoke, the name coming to his tongue and almost instantly dropping from it. He panted deeply, his mind trying to grasp the image again, only to be cut off by a shattering thunder crack, shaking the room with its volume. A slight "meep" came from the bed across from him, Meru having jumped up from her bed as the thunder shook the room. James turned to the surprised girl, who was glancing around with half-awake eyes.

"Whas' going on?" she mumbled as she glanced around, holding the blanket to her chest. James gave a sigh, barely being heard through the heavy rain that beat upon the roof of the Inn. Meru turned to him questioningly, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes.

"Just a thunder storm. Nothing to worry about." He said, smiling to her. A moment of silence past, Meru staring at him with a sad look in her eyes. Then she finally spoke.

"You're having nightmares again, aren't you?" She asked quietly, meeting his eyes with a frightening presence. James jumped a bit at her words, a look a genuine surprise across his face.

"How did-?" He began, only to be cut off by the young girl.

"You toss and turn in your sleep every now and then. You mumble a lot, but never anything I can understand. Are you alright?" She asked, a caring look spreading across her face, one so concerned it sent a tinge of pain through his chest.

"I'm fine. I'm just coping." He said simply, though with no explanation. Before Meru could pressure him further, they both heard it. Yelling. Both leaped from their beds, James quickly reaching the window, Meru a bit behind as she pulled the sheets along with her. The pair scanned the rainy village, the darkness spotted with torch lights and figures running about.

"What's happening?" Meru and James said at the same time, before turning to each other and nodding.

"I'll head out and ask around, you- you…" James began, his words coming to a stop as he noticed something he hadn't really caught before. His eyes had wandered from Meru to what was certainly her exposed back-side.

"You aren't wearing any clothes again." He said simply, to which Meru only blushed and punched his arm, taking the cloth and wrapping it around herself as she glared at him with an embarrassed look on her face.

"Just get some clothes on and go find out what's happening!" She said, her face brick red as she pushed him away. James just gave a slight laugh as he hurried and dressed himself, before dashing out the door with a smile and one last quip.

"If it's any consolation, you do have a cute butt!" He said, dodging a pillow as it flew out the door with a flustered Meru growling at him. James couldn't help but smile. She really was rather cute when she was embarrassed.

* * *

James ran through the rain, getting soaked almost instantly as he stepped outside the Inn. He looked around, sprinting to one of the various torch lights, running up to the figure of Will, the shop keeper he'd met before.

"Will! What's going on?" James asked quickly, putting his arms over his head in an attempt to block the torrent of rain. Will looked up at James with a worried expression on his face.

"Nicholas young son has gone missing. We are hunting for him now. Here, take this, and go help, please!" Will said, handing him a torch before bolting off to get another one for himself. James didn't even have time to respond before Will was gone. Not that he needed too. In a split second James was dashing off, torch aloft, his eyes locked and ready to find this missing boy. He knew where first to hunt, and he did not like it.

James bolted for the forest.

* * *

It was not easy going. The wind and rain, in addition to the occasional crack of thunder with an accompanying lightning bolt just made navigation through the vast forest a near impossibility. The torch helped, if only a little, serving as a guiding light as he pushed through the branches and bushes.

"Hey! Is anyone here?" James yelled, looking around, trying to spot something moving. No response, save the wind and rain. James pushed on, squinting as he pierced the veil of darkness in his hunt. He continued to yell and holler, crying out for anyone who could be in the forest. He didn't know why he hunted here for the boy; it was almost instinct that called him in a way.

"Hey-!" He began, stopping as he heard a brush from the bushes, through a series of trees. James quickly made his way to the noise, stepping over fallen trees and pushing his way through thick brush. When he finally made his way to the noise, James carefully leaned forward, looking through the foliage.

"Hey, you there?" He said, before he reflexively pulled back, the tip of a blade missing his nose by the width of a hair. With a yelp, James leaped back, landing on one of the fallen trees. He glared at the attacker, the creature that wielded the blade crawling out from the brush. It was short and stumpy, with an ugly face and green skin. It was dressed in rags with a rusty dagger clenched in its pudgy hands. The offending creature growled back at James, yelling something incoherent. It didn't wait to charge, the small creature moving with a shocking speed as it jumped over the plants and wood. James crouched down, placing his hands on the tree as he gave a twist, his leg flying out and catching the creature in the gut. Its eyes bulged with surprise as it was sent hurtling back into the darkness of the forest, landing with a thud. James only had a moment to smirk in victory as another three leaped at him.

"Shit." He cursed as the descended upon him.

* * *

Meru dashed through the rain, a torch in hand, on the hunt for someone as well. However, this someone was not the boy to which the rest of the town searched.

"James! James! Where are you?" She yelled, seemingly unaffected by the cold rain as it poured down on her, despite the fact that she wore less than most would dare on an even pleasant day. Nonetheless, she searched for her friend, with no care toward the rain. She had asked around, learning that he had run to the forest in the hunt for the lost boy. She gracefully jumped through the forest, acrobatically jumping from rock to log, to swinging from a branch and hopping over bushes as she hunted. She almost leaped over another log before she spotted something. Landing on the fallen tree, she noticed it- the body of a monster. A goblin to be precise. Leaning over, it had been, by the looks of it, killed by something blunt. Like her hammer. Or a kick. A kick like James' kicks. A quick scan of the area found another thing- a thing that Meru did not like. Blood. Drops of it coating the tree.

"James… Be safe…"

* * *

James hurtled through the forest, cursing under his breath as he held his side, his other arm holding the torch aloft. One of the stupid creatures had landed a dagger cut on his side. It'd been shallow, but he was bleeding and it hurt like all hell. He needed to find the kid…

James scanned the woods, yelling at the top of his lungs. He needed something, anything, to help. Anything to guide him. Something!

Then he heard it. Crying. James quickly turned to the source of the noise, sprinting through the foliage until he found its source: A young boy.

"Hey, are you Nick's son?" James asked as he approached the boy. The boy looked up fearfully at him, nodding. James smiled for a brief moment, until he saw the boys eyes widen in terror. The boy pointed at something behind James, giving him but a moment to react. A moment wasted as he gazed upon the creature. It reminded him of the goblins that had attacked him before, except this… thing, for lack of a better word, was over fifteen feet tall and had a club as big of a tree in its hand. A tree which it used to swing and bat James through the air like he was a feather. James landed painfully on the ground crashing through bits of brush as he slid to a stop. He took back his comment on the dagger wound hurting. THIS hurt like hell. Nothing could hurt more than getting blind-sided by a tree. James tried to straighten his vision as he heard the loud foot stomps approaching him, shaking his head to clear the stars away. James glanced up, the stomping having stopped. The creature stood before him. It raised its club high, the massive tree over twenty feet into the air. James only had a second to react. He jumped, under the creatures legs. Perfect timing as well, as the massive club crushed the ground to which he'd previously been prone on. James hit the mud, rolling, managing to get to his feet as he slid. Shaking away the rest of his dizziness, he glared at the gigantic creature. Clearly, it wasn't too smart, as it was looking between its club and the ground, not sure where its target had vanished from. James used this. He dashed forward, swinging his leg up and delivering a kick to its knee as it began to turn toward him. A sound, like when a metal bat hits a ball, rang through the air. The creature howled in pain as it tottered back grasping its knee-cap in pain. James was as baffled as the creature to what had just happened. Then he remembered.

The metal boots. He'd worn them so long; he'd forgotten they were there. Even now he realized, his legs felt lighter, easier to move in. Even his arms felt lighter, if only a little. Had all the work in the smith actually given him some muscle mass he'd never had before? He had little time to contemplate it was the giant creature regained its composure. James had a surge of confidence- if only for a brief moment as he saw the creatures visage. It had a giant flat face with a pair of pure black beady eyes. It had no nose, just a pair of giant nostrils that flared disgustingly. The part that made him disgusted truly, to the point of fighting back the vomit in his throat, was his mouth. Long and wide, with razor teeth. What was on the teeth was unmistakably human flesh. This creature... had eaten…

James couldn't even finish the thought as the creature charged again. James quickly dodged out of the way of its slow swinging club, knowing that another blow from it could certainly end his days with ease. The giant indent in the ground proved that. Not wasting a moment, James dashed toward the giant, swinging his leg and giving the giant's limb a firm kick, the metal adding that extra jolt to his blows. The giant groaned in pain, though seemingly more of annoyance than true injury. James swore as he leaped back, avoiding a kick from the giant. He couldn't keep this up.

Then the giant turned away. James was surprised, then horrified. The giant had turned to the small boy who was still cowering in the corner, reaching down with its mouth open. It was going to eat the kid. James couldn't let that happen. He dashed at the monster, his vision red with anger- and the giant turned and swung the club. It took James by complete surprise, the blow landing at his chest and neck instead of his stomach, throwing him straight down, smashing into the mud painfully. James tried to get a grip, to regain his vision as the bright lights flashed around his eyes, his mind in a daze from the massive blow. James starred at the flashing sky, the lightning bolts tearing through the clouds. His observations were interrupted as the giant stomped up; looking down at what was surely a tasty looking treat to him. Then it raised the club.

And howled.

* * *

OK folks! Cliffhanger AND early update! Just so everyone knows: Next week might not have an update. Why? I'm graduating. I think that merits a decent excuse. However, if I happen to find time to write a chapter, I shall update it. Though the next 2 or so weeks are a "Let's see" situation.

Now, if you really want me to feel warm and fuzzy inside; Go to TVtropes, make a Legend of Dragoon category in the Fanfic Recommendations section, and vote me in! If you do, I shall love you forever. Oh, and free cookies.

Cheers!


	16. Chapter 16

This chapter is horribly short, and I feel bad that it is. However, I'll make you all the promise that I'll make it up to all of you. I had to force creativity, and that always ends bad, but that is still no excuse.

* * *

And howled.

In pain. The creature stumbled back, dropping the massive tree trunk with a loud thud as it stomped around, falling back and grabbing it's knee; the very same that James had struck before. James quickly struggled to his feet, looking around and trying to gauge what was happening. He spotted it. Or rather, her. There Meru stood, war-hammer in hand, glaring at the hideous creature that rolled about in front of them. She turned to James, a mix of worry and nerves.

"Are you OK?" She asked with concern, her eyes flashing from him to the creature. James nodded, taking deep breaths to regain himself.

"I'm good!" He said between gasps of air. Sweat beaded down his brow, though it was quickly washed away in the rushing rain.

"Get ready!" She said suddenly, the giant standing from the mud, its face twisted in rage. Then it charged. The creature's feet stomping into the mud with enormous thuds. The pair of fighters split, the creature skidding to a halt, choosing to pursue Meru rather than James. Meru quickly leaped out of the way of one of its reaching hands, swinging in a graceful spin to smack at the offending appendage. She hopped about, away from the creatures' frustrated grabs with a dancer's grace.

James slid to a halt in the mud, glaring at the back of the creature. Then an idea struck him. Breaking into a sprint, James leaped up as the creature bowed down to reach at Meru again. One foot in front of the other, and James was sprinting up the back of the creatures spine. By the time the thing noted the additional weight, James was already at its head.

"Hah ha!" He yelled triumphantly, as Meru looked up at him with a baffled expression upon her face.

"What the hell are you doing?" Meru yelled from the ground. James frowned down at her.

"I hadn't thought that far ahead- Oh crap!" He yelled as the thing stomped around, it's massive hands making grabs at James as he ducked and weaved around them, all while trying to avoid falling over ten feet to the ground below. James hands gripped at what little handhelds he could grasp.

"Craaaaap!" He bellowed at the top of his lungs. Quickly swinging his arms around and grabbing a hold, James saw something.

"Meru! Lure him toward the left!" He yelled, to which Meru replied with a wordless sprint and hammer swing at the beasts near-shattered kneecap. The creature roared infuriatingly as it stumbled, stomping its feet and chasing after Meru. James watched Meru carefully, knowing that if he called to early, the plan wouldn't work.

"Meru, stop!" He yelled, Meru skidding to a stop, the surprised beast attempting to match it but tripping as the mud slid. It fell… Off the edge of the cliff that Meru had unwittingly lead it too.

"Hah ha!" James yelled again as it began to fall. With him still on it.

"Ah, crap." He said as he let go, sprinting down, and then up the creature as it began to fall face first. James leaped the last few feet, his hand stretching out for the cliff side. A small hand caught his own before he plummeted down with the creature.

"You are insane, you know that?" Meru said with a smile pulling James up.

"That's why ya love me, eh?" He replied, giving her that cheeky grin of his. Not bad, if he did say so himself.

* * *

Like I said, I promise to make it up to you guys one day. I'll either rewrite this whole damn chapter, or I'll extend it, or give you guys an extra long chapter. Something.

Peace.


	17. Chapter 17

"Do you really have to leave?"

James and Meru smiled at the large crowd that had gathered at the towns' gate, friends and loved ones they had made in their short time while staying in their little village. His former employer stood among the crowd, his bearded face wearing a giant smile, his young son, the same that they had rescued the evening before, standing beside him. Many smiling faces, many sad ones, none happy to see the young travelers leave. The stocky smith walked up to James, giving him a rough but friendly pat on the shoulder.

"Thank you for saving my son." He said appreciation in his eyes. Suddenly, he held out his arms, offering James something. He looked down at what laid in his arms, a curious expression spreading across his face.

"Take them, I made them for you." He said, lifting them up in offering. James tentatively reached forward, taking what was offered to him. As James lifted them up, he saw them for what they were. Heavy plate gauntlets. Despite himself, James felt a grin grow on his face.

With one last pull of the strap, the gauntlets were securely fastened to James arms.

"I based them off those boots of yours. May they serve you well, in whatever endeavor you seek my friend." He said, offering a hand. James shook it, smiling, glancing over to the small girl next to him, who was speaking with some of the folks she had met while they had stayed, specifically the Innkeeper and his wife.

"You all come back now. We'll have the beds nice and cozy for ya'." The Innkeeper said with a smile. Meru gave them both a strong hug before pulling away, joining James as the pair began to walk away from the village, leaving behind a group of smiling villagers.

Overall, it had been a good day.

Meru hefted up her hammer, a smile on her face as she turned to her compatriot. James tightened the straps on his gauntlets as he smirked back on her, that cocky look on his face.

"It's going to be long and painful you know. The road ahead and the beatings I'll deliver." She said, replying his smirk with one of her own. James simply gave her a small laugh in response.

"Bring it on short-stuff." He chuckled. They both smiled, and leaped at each other.

* * *

Two Weeks Later…

* * *

James narrowly ducked a swing from Meru's hammer, dancing away from her swipes, barely able to get on the offensive. This had become a regular habit of theirs. The pair would travel. They would spar. They would eat dinner. Then, they would goof off until they got tired and fell asleep. Rinse and repeat! For not-so-athletic James, this would have ordinarily been a nightmare. However, James soon learned that his athletic, if very under-trained and not-so-well kept body, was quickly beginning to keep up the pace that Meru constantly set him at. Barely.

"Awww, is poor James getting tired?" Meru giggled cutely, sweeping at James legs to which he leaped backwards to avoid.

"Cute." James replied dryly, but still smiling despite himself. Then he saw it. An opening! He dashed throwing a fast jab at her stomach. Meru eyes widened, before she planted her hammer in the ground, before using it like a pole and kindly flip-kicking James in the face. James flew about half a foot before his head rocketed back and into the dirt. So, not so far. Still hurt like hell.

"All done for today?" She asked innocently as she leaned on that giant hammer of hers oh-so-casually. James mumbled something along the lines of "Yeah" through an aching jaw.

Meru grinned.

* * *

Meru plopped a pan of meat and rice, something they'd bought from a passing merchant, and sat in front of James, spreading a map out in front of them. It was small, and looked like it contained only a small portion of the world, but James recognized some bits of it from the map the doctor had shown him back at the capital.

"So, what's our destination?" James said as he gulped down his meal, famished from their rampant traveling and repeated sparring.

"Here!" Meru said, pointing on a spot on the map. James leaned over, looking at her finger. It looked to be a rather reasonable sized city, by the size of the dot compared to other cities, though smaller than the capital.

"What's so special about this city?" James asked as he resumed shoveling the food into his mouth. Meru stood up, giving a little twirl and shaking her hips with that goofy grin on her face.

"Because it will be hosting the Festival of the Dragon, a celebration that occurs once every ten years! And! It is ONLY hosted in this city! We have got to go! For the games, the music, and, of course…" She said, before giving another little twirl. "…Dancing!" She ended dramatically, beaming a big smile at James. James smiled back, if just to break from eating to swallow that is.

"Well then, how far shall we travel?" James asked, winking and grinning at the excited girl.

"Three days. Better hurry, eh?" She said, winking back and smiling that oh-so-cute smile of hers. James nodded, turning to look at the road ahead of them. Yes, they had quite the way to go…

And the journey would be grand, without a doubt.

* * *

End of Act I

* * *

Hope you all enjoyed it! Act II will be coming along shortly. It will simply be a continuation of the story, but this "Act" is over for now.

See you next week!


	18. Chapter 18

"Do you smell smoke?"

Said question was asked as Meru and James walked along the path, not a day and a half into their journey. The Festival of the Dragon was far away still, still a ways off, and yet, the smell of burning smoke filled Meru's nostrils and James as well as he sniffed the air.

"Yes, I do… Are we near a town? Chimney smoke?" James asked somewhat casually, though he felt his body tensing up for some peculiar reason. Meru thought hard for a second before nodding.

"Yes… a small village off the path. Kind of out there." She said, pointing toward a direction off the path. Meru and James glanced into each others eyes, not saying a word, before they were sprinting through the woods. Something… was wrong. They could feel it, like an instinct or a sixth sense.

It was a short five minutes before they burst into a clearing, looking down at the sight below them… and were shocked. For below the small ledge they stood on, looking over the village, a horrifying sight was before them. It was the village, or rather, what was left of it. Fires burned and smoke stretched into the air, blown away from them, though not strong enough to push away the smoky smell. James and Meru looked at each other, worry filling their eyes. They both slid down the ledge, hopping and avoiding tripping over their own feet as they landed, quickly dashing for the village. Someone had to be alive…

* * *

No one was alive. No one could survive this. They had only been exploring the village for a short twenty minutes and James had almost thrown up twice and most certainly thrown up completely once. Why had he lost his lunch? Simple: Remains.

The entire village was flooded with the remains of whatever had struck the place, and the results were… gruesome. No human could do this, no sane human.

Meru clearly had a stronger stomach but still looked away at the sights. What sights were these might one ask? Quite simple. Beheaded corpses, bodies with their limbs torn off, eviscerated people, children trampled to death. The list went on and James was already looking for the brain bleach to forget what he'd seen.

Not long later they were out of the village. Rather, they had fled from its remnants. James was still dry retching at the brutality of whatever had struck this settlement, Meru kindly rubbing his back.

"Who could possibly do this…?" James muttered, to which Meru had no answer, she just shook her head, as though trying to rid herself of the images that plagued her mind.

"We need to hurry. Once we get to our destination, we'll inform the guards and have them send a message to the capital. It could be the work of bandits but it seems… Just too brutal. Let's go." She said, pulling James along, the pair of them trying to escape the slaughter that inflicted itself upon the villagers behind them.

* * *

The pair had fled the village as though hell itself bit at their heels, both visibly shaking at the rather traumatizing sight that they had just observed. Neither spoke for the longest time. It wasn't until the sun went down and they began to make camp did they finally speak again.

"So James, remember anything about your friend?" Meru asked, trying her best to keep the topic far from the village. James shook his head as he set out their beds; Meru and James had grown accustomed to having their beds closer together, now that they had built a habit of chatting before bed. Meru frowned at his answer; putting the pot they usually cooked things above the fire, letting it bring the cooking water to a boil. She took a seat next to James on their little bed blankets, wrapping her arms around her legs as she mistily stared into the flames that licked at the pots metal. James said nothing, his own mind rather distracted.

"So…" Meru said, attempting to spur some kind of conversation to fill the awkward void.

"Let's just get to the next town, tell the guards, and try to get past it." James said simply, to which Meru replied with a silent nod. The pair grew quiet once more, Meru leaning her head over and resting it against James shoulder. Neither said a thing as they watched the fire, and for now, that was alright.


	19. Chapter 19

"We're finally here!" Meru yelled at the top of her lungs as she dashed through the gate of the city, excitedly jumping up and down. Yes, they had finally arrived after quite the long and, with the recent discovery of their destroyed village, stressful trip. James plastered a smile on his face nonetheless, turning it toward the cheerful girl. Meru grinned back with that cheeky grin that only she could do.

"Shall we get ourselves settled at the Inn?" James offered, to which Meru nodded, striding off in what James hoped was the direction of the Inn. Like he always did, James simply smiled and followed along. Meru would get them there. Hopefully.

By some miracle, Meru did manage to get them to the Inn, and what a nice Inn it was. The entire place looked to be decorated with themed ornaments, clearly in preparation for the upcoming festivities. The innkeeper was a cheerful looking fellow, though wasn't hard to imagine what with the up and coming festival. James absent-mindedly admired the various decorations while Meru chatted it up with the man, getting their rooms organized. James wasn't always the social type, and he was just happy with letting the far more social Meru take care of it. And, lo and behold, she succeeded, though she bore a strange expression as she walked up.

"What's up?" James asked curiously, raising an eyebrow at her odd expression. Meru tapped her foot avoiding eye contact, and, if his eyes didn't fool him, having a slight blush cross her cheeks.

"Well, I got a room, but a lot of the rooms had already been taken… So… I had to get a room with one…" Meru said, mumbling the end of her sentence.

"One…?" James urged on, his expression still one of befuddled curiosity.

"One bed…" she said quietly. James' eyebrows shot up at this, before snapping his fingers.

"Well, damn. Guess I'm sleeping on the floor." He said, frowning and placing his hands behind his hand. He shrugged nonchalantly, unnoticing of Meru's somewhat surprised expression. Was he being dense on purpose, or was he just… always this way?

"Well…" Meru said, drawing a bit of a blank as she tried to think of something to say in response to that. Before she could utter another word, James was already heading in the direction of the stairs, Meru dashing to catch up. He certainly was an interesting fellow, at the very least.

James hummed to himself lightly as he strode about the room, piling up some blankets and pillows to make himself a makeshift bed. He was used to sleeping on the floor, he did all the time. He was the type of person who would gladly give their bed to someone else for the night, and he didn't mind sleeping on the floor.

Meru, meanwhile, was making her own bed, though it had a more, well, bedness to it.


End file.
